"Good morning, wife." Shuichirou smiled at Kaori when she woke up.

Before they left, they got married on Mariko-san's house with a priest that she called. There were not even wearing ceremonial gowns, but Mariko lent her a red furisode with golden flowers on it to be used as a bridal gown. Even though there was nothing fancy about it, Shuichirou's heart was tight, being certain that Kaori never looked so beautiful.

They left on the same night and spent their first night as a married couple inside a small inn already outside of Muramasa.

"Good morning." She blushed a little, but smiled back at him. Her long purple hair was over her torso. Shuichirou was still without clothes as well, the blanket covering their bodies from their hips.

"Are you hungry? I can ask something for us to eat."

She came close and her forehead touched his chest, her smaller body glued on his.

"Not yet."

He smiled and hugged her.

"I am sorry." Her voice was sweet. "For making you have a honeymoon on the road."

"What are you saying?" she looked at him and Oishi's caressed her face. "You finally said yes to me. There is nothing that could bring me down."

Kaori smiled and her husband kissed her gently.

"When should we leave, Shuichirou?"

"Let the horse rest for a while, at least until the sunset. We still have a long way to go. We can also rest and eat properly."

Kaori was on top of him and there was a sensuous look on her pink eyes.

"Can we also do other things?"

"Of course." He said, before sitting down and cupping her face to another kiss, deeper and serious.

################

Sakuno looked at everything amazed. They had finally arrived to Kitakama, the closet city to Ryoma's house, but still, many hours away. They had left in the morning at it was night already.

There were laterns all over the place and a lot of people walking on the wide streets. There were different types of stores and commerce. The smell from the food stalls was overwhelming.

The young human looked at her and her scarlet eyes were big in admiration and he smiled. Her long red hair was tight on a braid and she was wearing a dark green yukata and Ryoma was with a dark blue one.

"Sakuno, stay close to me so you won't lose yourself, okay?"

"Yes!" she grinned, happily.

"Let's go over there; there is somewhere we need to go."

They reached a small house with an opened front gate.

"Sakuno."

"Yes?"

"Do not be afraid and do not do anything."

"What do you mean?"

Ryoma knocked on the door and as soon as the door was opened a tall man with dark short hair and purple eyes hugged him tightly, lifting him from the floor.

"Ryoma! It's been so long! How are you?!"

"I… can't breathe, Momoshiro-san." He whispered, painfully and Sakuno didn't know what to do.

"Why did you took so long?!" he moved him around, like he was a rag doll. "I thought you were frozen dead by now!"

The sound of a baby crying from inside the house called their attention and the taller man finally put his friend down.

"Ops."

"Takeshi!" the young woman appeared in front of the door, holding a small, crying baby on her arms. She had short straight orange hair and dark blue eyes. "Stop yelling, you scared him, I had just put him to sleep!"

"My bad, Ann." he said, nervously.

"Ryoma-kun!" she finally noticed him and smiled. "You finally came. I'm sorry for my husband's silliness, please, come in!"

"Oh, Ryoma!" he finally noticed Sakuno and she was looking shyly at him. "You found yourself a girl!"

"This is Sakuno." He said, proudly.

"It is a pleasure to meet you." She bowed politely, like Ryoma had taught her.

"She is so cute!" Ann said, with a smile. The baby had stopped crying and was asleep inside of her arms again. "Don't stay at the door, come in, come in, we were about to serve dinner!"

"Thank you for having us." Ryoma said, when they entered and Sakuno looked around. The house was bigger than his but cozy and there was a good smell of food all over it.

"You don't need to be so formal." Takeshi grinned, sitting across from them on the short table on the living room. His wife was on the kitchen and she placed the baby next to his father and Sakuno looked at him curiously. "So, tell me, what do you have for me now?"

"Bigeye tuna." He said, confidently.

"Oh, really?! How did you get one of those?! They usually swim very deep!"

"Sakuno helped." He smiled, before taking the fish pieces from inside a small wicker basket. "Here."

"Wow!" he opened the silk paper wrappers. "They are beautiful! Thank you so much, Ryoma, I'm sure the costumers are going to love it!"

"Customers?"

"Momoshiro-san runs as a small restaurant on the other side of the yard. The food is really good."

"Ryoma helps me with fish and other sea food at least once a month."

"Ah, it reminds me! Happy 18th Birthday, Ryoma. Let's drink some sake to celebrate!"

"Birthday?" Sakuno asked, when Takeshi stood up to pick up a bottle.

"The day I was born." He said, quickly before he returned.

"Do not drink so much, I'm almost finishing here." Ann said, with a smile, while tending a big pot on the fire.

"Yes, dear." He grinned to her and poured Ryoma a small cup of the transparent liquid. They drank it in one gulp. "Do you drink, Sakuno-chan?"

"Ah, no!" Ryoma blurted out. He had no idea of what alcohol could do to a mermaid.

She was too concentrated on the baby to pay attention to them. The little boy was sleeping soundly inside the fluffy blanket, his belly going up and down. He had his father's hair and his mother's sharp eyes.

"He is so small." She touched his little hand and smiled when it grabbed her finger.

"He is just three months old. He was born before winter started. His name is Takeo."

"It is a beautiful name. Congratulations to you two." Ryoma said, gently.

"Food is ready." Ann said, coming close with a big bowl of udon. There was pork stock, pork meat, boiled eggs and mushrooms. The smell was amazing! Sakuno had never seen such beautiful food.

"It smells so good." She said, amazed.

"Thank you. It is just a simple dish."

"My wife is modest." He smiled at her, gently. "She is the main cook at our restaurant."

"So, Sakuno-san, how did you two meet?" Ann asked, while serving her.

"I…." she was about to start the story telling she was a mermaid when he interrupted her

"She hurt herself on the beach and I helped her out. She couldn't walk for a few days." He showed Sakuno a small smile. "And then she decided to stay."

"How could someone imagine a beautiful girl would appear on that God's forsaken place? You are so lucky!"

Sakuno smiled back at him, before starting to eat.

They talked for almost an hour, after finishing to eat, before the baby started to cry again. Takeshi said he would mind the dishes and Ann showed Sakuno their room before going to nurse the baby. Ryoma was finishing cleaning things with his friend, when he smiled at him.

"You are different."

"What do you mean?"

"You are not sulking anymore. Every time you look at her your eyes smile. I never saw you like this before. I remembered the first time you arrived here, wanting to buy food, you looked like a dog under the rain."

"Many things had happened back then." he remembered the death of his father and Ren's threat.

"We were always worried with you on that place. At least you are not alone anymore."

"Momoshiro-san, thank you for all the help you gave me back then and up until now."

"Don't mention it." He smiled gently at his friend.

##########

When Ryoma arrived their room, Sakuno was on the outside porch, looking to the starts. The soft breeze was moving her long hair. She had already changed to a light color yukata, waiting Ryoma to sleep.

He sat by her side and looked up with her.

"It is the same sky, but it is different somehow, from the beach where we live."

"It sure is."

"Ryoma, can you explain birthday better?"

"It is the day you are born. Do you know how old are you?"

"No. As long as I remember, I was always swimming alone."

"They day I found you at the beach, that was my birthday." he kissed her forehead. "It was the best birthday ever."

Sakuno smiled.

"Did you like Momoshiro-san and Ann-san?"

"Yes!" she smiled at him. "They are not scary, like you told me."

"They are a very nice couple."

"Couple?"

"They are married. Momoshiro-san is the husband and Ann-san is the wife."

"What is married?"

"It is when you make a promise to stay with the person you love." He caressed her face. "You promise to stay together and take care of each other for the rest of your lives."

"Is that after or before having sex and having a baby?"

"Before, most of the times." He showed her a small smile. Sakuno laid her head on his lap, curling her legs close and Ryoma caressed her hair.

"Their baby is so cute."

"Isn't he? Momoshiro-san was anxiously waiting for him."

"Ryoma, do you want a baby?"

"Eh?!" his entire face was red.

"Your baby would be very cute too." She moved her body and looked at him, touching his jawline. "Let's make a baby."

He could hear his heart turning around inside his chest with such proposal. She said it so calmly,, but Ryoma could notice there was no hesitance on her scarlet eyes. He could feel his blood froze inside his veins and was unable to give her a response. Before his silence, Sakuno sat down in front of him and cupped his face, investigating the golden eyes.

"You don't want to? I want to be you with you forever. I will do my best to learn the things human do to make you happy."

"What are you saying?" his expression softened and he showed her a small smile. "I am extremely happy already. You do not have to change anything about you." Ryoma kissed her softly and whispered on her lips. "You are perfect, Sakuno."

He continued to kiss her, his arms around her delicate frame in a tight embrace while Sakuno melted against his mouth.

Suddenly, taken by a raw desire to feel more of him, the mermaid's hand went inside his yukata and touched his chest and he broke the kiss, looking at her with drunken, passionate eyes.

"Sakuno..."

"I want to touch you." She said, calmly, kissing his neck. "I want you to touch me more."

Ryoma gave in on her wishes and his desires as well. He held her hand, bringing her to the futon Ann had prepared to them. They did nothing but kissing for some time before he pulled her to his lap. Ryoma wanted to memorize the taste of her lips and the feeling on his body pressed on hers. Moving a little, he pulled her yukata and, since the obi was a little loose, her delicate shoulder was showing and the upper part of her breasts. He kissed her face and neck, the sweet fragrance of her skin filling his mind.

Sakuno signed when he sucked her collarbone. With a slow pull, he undid the obi of her yukata with trembling hands. The fabric fell to the futon in a slow motion. He saw her nakedness so many times before, but now it was totally different.

His fingers caressed her breast and teased her nipple, while his mouth was around the other piece of flesh. He sucked her until making her body arch. It was the first time he heard Sakuno moan in pleasure and it made him painful on his groin.

Sakuno took the upper part of his yukata off. She nibbled his shoulders and his arms. The mermaid could feel him hard and hot, pulsing against her own flesh and she was curious about it.

Sakuno's warm hand was under the layers of cloth and her fingers were around him, gently.

"It is so soft." She put a little pressure on it and it made him shiver entirely. "But, so hard still."

"Sa…Sakuno!

"Yes?" whispering on his lips, she bewitched him with a sensuous glare. Her thumb touched the head while her other fingers went on a slow motion of up and down.

"Sakuno! Please…. Stop." He felt his other parts tight, right on the edge. It was too much! Her perfect naked form, her round breasts, the heat and wet between her tights, the movement of her soft fingers. He released a long moan on her shoulder, defeated by his self control. He had spilled himself entirely on her hand.

"Ryoma, what happened?!" she asked, worried, seeing him tremble and he felt so ashamed and small, unable to face her.